Merging Technologies Pyramix 5/Isis controller - Resolution

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Merging Technologies Pyramix 5
and Isis Controller
There are few major sound postproduction facilities in the UK that don’t now include Pyramix among their available DAWs. This rapid
take-up by the post industry was one of the things that spurred Merging Technologies to refocus its efforts on features requested by this
sector. The recently released Version 5 software reflects this shift.
JIM BETTERIDGE
FOR THE UNINITIATED, Pyramix is a PC-based
DAW that gets its processing power from a
PCI board called a Mykerinos card, leaving the
PC’s processor free to do other things including run
VST and Direct-X plug-ins within Pyramix. One card
is sufficient to run a fairly hefty system. If, like me,
you’re using an external mixer to cope with most of
your levels, EQs and effects, 64 I-Os is quite possible
— and all on a pair of BNC coaxial cables via MADI.
If you’re using the built-in mixer in stereo out mode,
the maximum number of tracks is, as always, down
to the amount of EQs, effects and other DSP-hungry
processes you engage. The nice thing about the system
is that you can add further Mykerinos cards as needed.
For instance, a recent four-card demo system included
112 channel strips, each with Strip Tools (dynamics,
parametric EQ), being summed into six 5.1 surround
stems plus a couple of 5.1 aux sends and a reverb.
It took Merging rather longer than expected to give
birth to V5 but it has to be said that it is a significant
improvement on V4 and pretty stable from the off.
On a well-maintained system without too many
interfering third-party apps knocking around, it is rare
that the program crashes, and with client-attended
sessions, this is really important. It’s also very flexible
and allows files of any type, bit depth or sample rate
to be dropped on the same project timeline.
All sorts of basic everyday functions are now a lot
faster and more reliable. Much improved is the Media
Manager page. A nice feature here is that folders are
always mounted and displayed in a discrete fashion,
as opposed to one big undefined list in an audio pool
as with other well known DAWs. New within Media
Manager is the Media Browser which provides the
user with a window similar to My Computer, wherein
you have access to all files and folders, be they local
or network connected, without the need to mount
them. Unlike My Computer, the lists also contain the
full set of metadata (timecode, sample rate, etc) and
you are able to easily audition a file before mounting
it or the folder that contains it.
Having selected a file, a built-in clip editor allows
you to top and tale it, add a sync point, deselect one
or more of the tracks (if it’s interleaved), listen to your
selection, and then drag it on to your project timeline;
very handy when dragging a small part of a large file
into a tightly packed project.
The search process has also been refined: you’ve
always been able to search the folder or library
you’re currently in but now you can define a disk
or set of folders (including nested folders) to search.
You can also more narrowly define your search by
adding extra terms with ‘and’, ‘or’ and ‘not’ functions
and each term can be any one of many metadata
elements, such as Scene, Take, Sample Rate, Format,
etc. Though perhaps rarely useful, it is the sort of
feature that might just save your job one day. It also
comes into play with the new ‘relink to new media’
facility found in V5: let’s say, for example, that you’ve
exported a project back to an Avid for reworking,
and then the reworked project has been re-exported
back to you. However, in the process the clip names
have been altered to preclude simple relinking with
the original media. Using the different parameters
the machine can take a very good stab at a happy
reunion. Similarly, if the files you want have been
unwittingly mixed in with other audio, by applying
what you do know about the errant files to the relink
criteria, a tearful homecoming can often be achieved
(Emotions run high at Stationhouse readers. Ed).
If you’ve used Pyramix to digitise your sound
effects CDs and made use of CDDB database to name
the tracks, you can create a searchable effects library
within Pyramix from which you can simply drag
sounds on to the timeline without need of a thirdparty
SFX database.
A massive improvement is to be found within the
transport window that can now contain as many
machines as you’ve got 9-pin ports (and this is
practically unlimited via USB-to-9pin convertors),
any of which can be the master with any or all of
the others slaving under the full control of Pyramix.
All my Sony video machines seem to respond well
although my DA88 is a bit reluctant for some reason.
(Perhaps it’s feeling tearful. Ed).
The inbuilt mixer has been completely redesigned
and is far easier to configure. It also has a new monitor
control section that allows selection and adjustment
of various sources from mono to 7.1. As mentioned,
I currently use an external mixer but even so the
ease of configuration is still very apparent and a great
improvement. It does encourage me to consider more
seriously using my DM2000 as a controller and keeping
all the mixing internal, especially as the imminent new
software version (service pack 2) has apparently
greatly improved controller mapping for the DM. With
the new software supporting 128 physical I-Os from
a pair of Mykerinos cards and all the new surround
monitoring facilities, it does look very promising.
24 resolution September 2006

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Another flexibility that becomes appealing as
you get into the program is the facility to customise
the user interface to contain only the buttons you
want, either large or small. Any of the functions in
the menus can now be given a button on the main
project page plus, if desired, a keyboard short cut. So
you can pare down your interface to suit a particular
job — record VO, ADR, edit, mix, etc (or make an
SACD master, if that’s your thing) and save it as a
preset. A given arrangement can also be saved within
a Windows user account to make switching between
tasks or operators simpler. And if you’re moving
between studios, the general settings, macros and
shortcuts can be saved to a USB stick and loaded into
any other Pyramix V5 system to make it look and act
like your own.
If you’re using your Pyramix without a mixing
console the new monitor section will be invaluable.
Having created your mixer with its various output
busses — 5.1, stereo, mono, aux sends, 2-track
monitor — the monitor section allows you to switch
between them and also to switch between destinations,
i.e. different speaker sets. You can also mute or solo
individual speakers, mute or dim the whole set and
of course there’s a big knob to turn the volume up
and down.
A major new addition to the Pyramix family is
the Isis dedicated hardware controller which uses
Merging’s Oasis protocol to reach to the depths of the
system’s parameters to offer detailed control. Other
controllers and consoles are capable of controlling
Pyramix via MIDI, but to date these have not
been very satisfactory — although, as mentioned,
improvements are reportedly imminent. There’s also
the excellent Euphonix MC which connects to Oasis
through its own EuCon protocol to great effect, but
for the controller plus 8-fader bank you’ll be in the
£25k to £30k region. The Isis comes in two parts.
First there’s the controller itself containing a large
jogwheel, transport buttons, dedicated edit function
buttons, track arming buttons and an LCD with
eight soft keys. Then there’s the fader unit, which
is of a similar size and contains eight faders and an
assortment of buttons.
I moved to Pyramix after a decade of using the
Akai DD1500 (plus Cubase for music production)
with its much loved hardware controller. At that
point I hated the idea of being forced to use a
QWERTY keyboard for proper audio editing; how
could it ever replace all those beautiful big buttons
and that fabulous jog wheel? At that point I would
undoubtedly have bought the Isis and would have
been grateful. A few years down the line, with a long
list of keyboard shortcuts under my fingers and a few
nifty macros honed in the heat of battle, I’m rather
fond of the QWERTY and mouse combo and found
the Isis strangely cumbersome and unnecessary.
A freelance engineer who works at Stationhouse
on and off and is required to straddle several different
platforms in his travels, thought it was excellent
and that I should definitely buy one. I think this is
the crux, if you’re wedded to your QWERTY and
especially if you’re using an external mixer, it may not
appeal. If you’re coming from a dedicated worksurface
(AudioFile, DAR, etc) and especially if you’re doing all
you mixing within Pyramix, this may be a very useful
and affordable tool. Though not overwhelmingly sexy
the controller is quite presentable and the jog wheel
is really excellent. The choice of buttons is also quite
well reasoned and can be changed as required. The
size and location of the buttons is not what I’ve been
used to: they’re a bit small, a bit far apart, rather
spongy and, most strangely, the transport buttons are
about two-thirds up the panel with nowhere to rest
you wrist — try hammering those up and down the
timeline for 10 hours straight.
One of the beauties of Pyramix is its macros. With
a little application you can get it to do quite complex
processes with a single key stroke, such as cuing-up
pips for the next cue in an ADR session and perhaps
muting or unmuting the guide track up to that
point. With a keyboard full of hundreds of possible
keystroke combinations, moving to the Isis seems to
reduce the level of control. It’s not for me, although
I imagine if you’re basically editing but need some
simple mixing facilities, an Isis plus your mouse could
be the answer.
All in all V5 is a significant improvement and
expansion of the previous version and it’s nice to
know that any user can pick up the phone and speak
to one of the designers or engineers in Switzerland
and they will take the time to listen and consider your
requests. ■
PROS
CONS
EXTRAS
Fast, user-adaptable interface; can addon
extra Mykerinos cards for extra DSP;
powerful machine control; good video
solution; stable.
No MIDI, so it may not appeal for
music making; can’t use the Mykerinos
hardware for other apps like Cubase
or Logic.
Basic native system: UK£437 + VAT
Film/video Post system including:
19-inch rack integrated PC; 3 x 17-inch
TFT monitors; SCSI 72Gb removable
HD; 600Gb internal RAID 0 media drive;
Pyramix Post Pack software; RS422
control; video support with capture/
playout; video/timecode sync; one
Mykerinos card; dual analogue/AES I-0
card and cables; AAF import/export;
Prosoniq MPEX2 time/pitch scaling
software — UK£10,813 + VAT
Contact
MERGING, SWITZERLAND
Website: www.merging.com
UK, Total Audio Solutions: +44 1527 880051
26 resolution September 2006